Cirque Des Ombres
by Jeh-Leh-Loh
Summary: Victor Frankenstein flees his home after being accused of murder for the death of his father. He comes across a strange band of performers who offer to take him in if he will offer his skills as a Doctor and work with the star of the show, the She-wolf.
1. Chapter 1

The wood of the caravan wagon seemed to creak with the slightest movement. It was musty and smelled of cigars, but in an odd way Victor Frankenstein found it cozy. The walls were decorated with old posters advertising for the traveling circus written in European-languages. Though the longer he gazed at the acrobats, show horses and magicians depicted in the circus posters the longer he felt their staring eyes. Suddenly the musty old wagon simply seemed less cozy.

He leaned into his chair, releasing another eerie creak. He lifted away his hand, not wanting to collect any splinters after his long recovery. But his neck ached, and he finally, gingerly placed his head against the barely cushioned head rest.

The wagon creaked again and suddenly the door behind him burst open then slammed shut, and in had stepped the tall and sharp looking Ring Master. Victor stood but the man motioned for him to take a seat. It was the first time Victor had actually seen the man, he was dressed in kitch, but finely made clothes. He wore a long, maroon coat with large gold buttons and black knee high boots to match the perhaps too-tall hat on his head. His vest was a dull orange and pink striped. The Coiled weapon appeared to have a sharp silver tip. He was the owner of the show, or so Victor was told. Victor had never met the man face to face before now. The Ring Master was the one who had summoned Victor after the young Doctor had awakened from weeks of battling injuries and sickness, and from what Victor was told, the one who had made the decision to take him in. It struck the Lordling as a foolish move for the owner of such an enterprise: after all Victor Frankenstein was a wanted the more he accessed the situation, the more in character it seemed to be. It wasn't as if these 'performers' had any better reputation than a convict on the run.

The Ring Master eyed Victor from the opposite end of the wagon, his gloved hand still fanned and pressed against the old cracked wooden door. When his darkly lined eyes had a moment to look him over, those long fingers of his slid gracefully and lifted his top hat from his full head of black slicked back hair..

This tall figure of a man let out a warm chuckle as he placed his hat carefully on the coat rack camouflaged against the cluttered wall and grinned with straight white teeth," Victor Frankenstein, my dear boy it is so good to see you awake, I didn't know if you would be able to overcome those nasty scrapes you had gotten yourself into" In long strides he went to take a seat in a patchy looking chair behind his desk," You know, you've made quite a name for yourself Victor- I mean, before your problems with the law"

"Yes.. well…" Victor cleared his throat nervously and fidgeted with the loose string at the end of his sleeve," I suppose I should thank you for… saving my life, Mr… um.. I apologize, but I don't believe I know your name"

"Oh, please, I consider myself a good samaritan, you've no need to thank me. As for my name, you will not need it. You may address me as 'Ring Master' as everyone else here does. Though..", The Ring master opened a drawer in an old dresser behind him and pulled out another poster, it was Victor's wanted poster with a sketch of his likeness in the middle of the paper,"I'm quite interested in _your_ name. I wanted to ask you some questions about you. You're a Doctor, correct?"

"Was," Victor swallowed," Before the-"

"No no no, PLEASE I want to know more about your _skills_. From what I understand you are a phenomenal physician, and as it turns out our last 'healer' had a little accident with our kitty cats…"

Victor cringed more and more as the man spoke, this tall dark man's performer mentality was beginning to grate against his nerves," That's very gracious of you, but I think as soon as I can I'd like to go my own way. It's probably for the best"

The Ring Master's enthusiastic expression faded and turned into a slight scowl. He set down the wanted paper in front of Victor and traced the lettering of his name," Alright then… perhaps we should start with your story"

"My 'Story'? I'd rather not," Victor replied flatly

The Ring Master paused a moment, then let out a small sigh," Come, we all have a 'story' or a history of some sort and from what I've heard, yours is a very dark one. You come from the Frankenstein line yes? The eldest son of the now 'late' Lord Alphonse Frankenstein. And you had a brother, Gerhardt, also deceased?" The Ring Master questioned," I had heard some dark rumors about him as well, you know"

"Yes… he's gone" This man seemed to know a lot… or had enough information simply evolved over the last year and a half?

"I see, well you took up a medical career, despite your family's long history of work in the military. I imagine that didn't go over well.. and you were good. In fact extraordinary. Though when you had decided to look into reanimation, you lost all credibility in the medical community. But really, the worst thing to happen to young Doctor Frankenstein, was that you succeeded in your efforts," The Ring Master gazed down at the poster again and read aloud," Doctor Victor Frankenstein, charged with trespassing, grave robbing, murder and black magic," The Ring Master looked up at him," I didn't think you could be charged with that old offense anymore"

"Apparently," Victor managed, but when Victor met the Ring Master's expression again, he could see the 'showman' disappear, there instead was actual sympathy, even sincerity in his eyes.

"You know… I thought it was odd that a Doctor had such vastly untreated wounds"

Victor lowered his head," You and your caravan, were not suppose to find me… After the death of my father, it didn't stay hidden too well. It's true, those rumors, I had resurrected my brother, and while he was alive he was not the same. He is the one who killed our father but I am the one responsible. I had to take my brother away from there, but the authorities found out about us, and it wasn't long before we became fugitives. Unfortunately my brother in his condition, he couldn't survive the elements"

"And you, Victor Frankenstein," He smoothed out a crumpled corner of the poster," did you lose your purpose?"

"I did," Victor swallowed," I'm afraid I'm quite lost… I deserved to die, and for a time before you found me, after Gerhardt's death I thought dying was what I deserved"

The Ring Master sat back in his chair and glanced out the tiny window. It was quiet for a good minute or so before the Ring Master spoke,"I don't suppose a man like you believes in fate, but I do, Doctor. I believe the Gods have purpose for you yet, and that our happening upon you was not by mere chance," The Ring Master turned towards Victor offering a small smile," You know, there are people here who are in need of care. You may not be able to bring back your brother, but if you stay with us you can still preserve life- that was your calling at the start of all this, was it not?"

Victor looked away and ran his fingers through his hair," I'm not so sure…"

"Oh come on, half of us are criminals just like you! You'll fit in fine! Not to mention we took care of you, fed you, clothed you…"

"I thought you said you were the 'Good Samaritan'"

"Well… I'm also a man who has to make a living"

Victor considered the man, but after having spent so long under the harsh elements, he couldn't imagine doing that alone, the Circus could provide him cover for awhile, and the idea of helping these people did appeal to him even if he didn't want to admit it to the man. He had heard of the appalling conditions and treatment of the performers in these kinds of 'shows', he knew he could do some good here.

"You'll do it?" Victor returned his attention to the Ring Master who had returned to his 'showman's persona," You'll be our healer? Our shaman? Our mender?"

"I prefer, Doctor," Victor responded," and I won't work with the animals, I have no training and no desire to work with your 'kitty cats' or whatnot"

"Of course not, all in good time," The Ring Master stood and extended his hand to shake Victors, when Victor didn't take it fast enough, the tall man leaned over his desk and grabbed his hand shaking it roughly," You may have our last 'Doctors' quarters, it should be enough room and there's still quite a few leftover supplies as well- but if you need anything you may talk to our magician, or even better come straight to me! I'll get you whatever you require!"

Victor pulled his hand away when the Ring Master lowered his own," I appreciate that, thank you," The Doctor even offered a small smile.

"You know? I think I'll go talk to Greta, she can make sure you have your quarters all in line. You'll start first thing in the morning! I hope you're an early riser!" The tall lengthy man stood and chuckled as he went to get his hat," You're wagon is just behind the acrobats training tent!"

Victor watched the man leave practically clicking his heels on the way out. He shook his head when the door slam. He wasn't so sure he would 'fit in' if everyone here had the same demeanor as this Ring Master did, but it might be a chance to redeem himself doing… partial honest work, if that was possible. Victor stood to his feet about to get a proper look at his new quarters when the Ring Master opened the door again and popped his head in briefly," Oh, and by the way, it would probably be best if you didn't use your name here. i know who you are but most of our performers do not.. believe me, it's probably best if you just go by 'Doctor', alright?"

"Alright," Victor agreed

"Excellent!" The Ring Master grinned exiting for a second time," Early Rise tomorrow! Welcome to the Cirque Des Ombres!"

The door shut, and as Victor grabbed his coat off the back of his chair he scanned those posters lining the walls of the wagon, until one caught his eye. A large, wall height poster depicting a beautiful woman with long dark curly hair in a showgirls bright red dress and make up. Only she was doing her dance behind a cage and her wrists and ankles were in chains. The lettering upon it read; The She-Wolf. And while the woman's face had a beautiful symmetry about it, and her smile was wide, her eyes looked almost tragic. As Victor studied the poster, he couldn't avoid those pleading eyes. Finally Victor turned his back and stiffly walked out into the camp to see just exactly what the last Doctor had left him with.


	2. Chapter 2

The young Doctor expected little more than what he received, a musty cramped wagon with hardly more than two extra cotts for patients, both of which were covered in junk. Whatever 'supplies' he had been promised, it could not be found in the piles upon piles of trash. Greta, a stout and growly woman of Russian-Germanic descent had helped him bring the few possessions he had into the wagon, but Victor spent the better part of the night clearing space for his things. By morning he had only been asleep for a few measly hours. And as promised, the day started at an early morning, at sunrise.

There was a sharp rap at the door, Victor stirred slowly and tried to answer, but the Ring Master burst into his room," Doctor! Time to Rise! It's a new day and you've got plenty of work before you!"

The Doctor shot up and pulled his blanket over himself," Ring Master! I'm not decent!"

"You're not even dressed? Not a very promising first day is it? Well, get your clothes on and meet me outside," The Ring Master patted himself down a moment and turned as if looking for something," Where is it…?" He murmured before snapping his fingers as if realising something. He took the Doctor's chin in one hand and the other hand went behind his ear and revealed an apple that the Ring Master then placed in Victor's hand.

"Very good," Victor grumbled," Now some privacy if you don't mind"

"Five minutes, then work!" The Ring Master agreed as he stepped outside.

The Doctor muttered something unpleasant and began pulling on his shirt and trousers. He didn't have time to shave and barely finished his apple before the Ring Master was knocking at his door again. The Doctor groaned and searched through the remaining clutter for anything that might help him with his work. Luckily he found an old worn medical bag; it didn't have much inside but it did contain a working stethoscope, some salves, and a pouch of… well, what Victor deduced was illegal medical herbs and bandages. Victor picked up the bag and finally came out of the wagon, with the Ring Master just outside ready to lead him through the camp.

It all resembled a gypsy camp, but without the lights and cover of night everything was revealed to be dull and in poor condition. In the stark orning light, everyone's clothes were tattered, off-colored and in that same kitsch style of the Ring Master, though much older and more worn down than his fine apparel. There was a vague smell of animal, everywhere and while Victor couldn't see the organ, there was definitely some carnival music playing in the distance. But it was warm, which was a nice change. He remembered Gerhardt and he hadn't quite crossed the southern Swiss border, Italy perhaps?

"I'm sorry I had to be so persistent, it's just I have a rather urgent request," The Ring Master explained, clasping hands and doing his best to seem sincere in his apology," You know, we have a show in just three days, there's a small town a few miles out and we all have to be ready by tonight. Unfortunately many of our performers have injuries and need to be able to perform at they're very best for the next show!"

"That's understandable, Perhaps I should start with those who need my attention the most?" Victor suggested, but the Ring Master lead him to a tent with rows of at least twenty different people, all in close quarters to each other. Some even had their animals, including a man who was playing an out of tune accordion trying to get his chimpanzee to dance. Victor raised an eyebrow and was about to point out how unsanitary everything was when another man's voice was heard from behind the two.

The Ring Master turned at the sound and grinned," Ah, Timothy there you are!"

"Hey Chief!" The small man had sharp cheekbones with large wide eyes, and was dressed in trousers with mismatched suspenders greeted betraying a hint of an american accent, perhaps New York, before turning his attention to Victor," Is this the, uh, Doctor? I don't suppose there's a chance you've had any medical school training at all have you?"

Victor gave a brief nod, "Yes, I actually studied several years in London"

"Oh! Well that's great, real great!" Timothy beamed, "It's just our last guy… he a.. well, I'm just glad you're an actual real Doctor, um, what do you go by…?" The Ring Master cleared his throat abruptly and shook his head," Oh, uh, well alright Doc, all the same, it's great to have you" The man took Victors hand and shook it firmly," I work with the elephants here- say, I don't suppose you'd look at little ol' Dumbo for me? He's just a little guy but he has a wicked ear infect-"

"I'm sorry, " Victor stiffly interrupted,"I don't work with animals, I feel I just don't have the training"

"Well, I'll let you gentlemen get acquainted, Timothy here has agreed to help you organize patients, supplies, appointments and the like as well as work with our patients in his spare time," The Ring Master gave a dramatic bow before he turned to leave," I bid you both au dui"

Timothy then pulled out a list from his pocket as the boss made his way back to his lodgings," No ah, the Ring Master has this list here of who he wants taken care of first.. now"

"Timothy, can I ask you something?" Victor said as he turned, Tim made a sort of squeaky-sputtery noise as if to protest, more interested in the list of twenty people in his hand," Why do only some people here have these… aliases, not their real names"

"Oh, well I guess it's sort of a protection thing. You know like you sure know for yourself- not that I'm accusing you of nothin', but uh, it's just not everyone here like me needs…" Tim looked around the crowd and then gestured to a man sitting on a saggy looking cot wearing a worn out patchy coat, with an even patchier looking hat," That guy came here a few months ago; goes by Hatter here"

Victor blinked and then looked to where Timothy gestured. The Doctor furrowed his brows barely recognising the man he saw there, but he knew him all the same. He marched over to the cot despite Timothy's warning, the mousey man once again squeaking in protest and following behind Victor.

The Hatter looked up with tired eyes as Victor grabbed his collar in his fists," What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

Jefferson pulled away sharply, clearly not too sick judging from the amount of strength he used to defend himself from the assault," I could ask you the same, Doctor," Victor withdrew his hands and glared down at him, though he had a hard time not pitying the man. Whatever happened between then and the time Victor last saw Jefferson, it hadn't gone too well for the Hatter," I guess neither of us got what we wanted from Rumple's deal"

The Doctor sighed," Well.. I did, but I overlooked the consequences of my actions… again," Victor set his jaw," I'll ask again Jefferson, what are you doing here?"

Tim shifted nervously at the use of a real name, but Jefferson just chuckled," After Rumplestiltskin successfully transformed Regina into his dark puppet, things got worse and worse for the rest of us living in the Enchanted forest. Work for me was especially hard, and I just kept making more and more mistakes…. long story short I needed a place to run to and I came across the 'Cirque Des Ombres. They offered me a place if I could pull rabbits and doves out of my hat"

Victor sighed and looked away, guilt overtaking him for once again ruining the lives of other people- some he didn't even know of. And he wouldn't admit it, but it was some what comforting to see a familiar face, even if it was this particular face. Perhaps it was also hypocritical, but he Didn't trust Jefferson, not after the Hatter's association with the 'Dark One' and his ability to so easily trade a woman's fate for a pocket of gold far too easily. But, Victor knew he was no better," So what are you here for then? You're feeling ill, I take it?"

Jefferson eyed Victor a moment. Apparently the feelings of distrust were mutual," I've had a nasty cough, it's nothing really.. but I can't start coughing and hacking on stage"

"Coughing?" The Doctors calculating eyes looked over the Hatter, who was pale and had dark circles around his eyes," Do you feel any pressure in your temples, any headaches? Dizziness?"

"Um, Doctor, there's a list.." Tim tried to interject.

"This will just be a moment Timothy, please," Victor didn't like it, but Jefferson might be the most reliable person here, or at least the one he knew best. He turned to the Hatter again then knelt down in front of him taking a stethoscope from his bag," I'll need you to lift up your shirt so I can listen to your lungs"

The Hatter gingerly agreed and The Doctor went about the examination. The Doctor instructed to take in a few deep breaths. Viktor listened carefully for rattling in his lungs. It only took a moment before Victor came away with a deduction," It's a only a small virus, I doubt it'll progress anymore than it has…" Victor dug through the old bag until he came across one of the salves after reading the label ," This has menthol, camphor and eucalyptus oils in it. Rub this on your chest and it'll clear up any congestion" He handed the salve to the Hatter," If it gets any worse come see me"

The Hatter twisted off the cap and sniffed the contents. He scrunched his nose in distaste of the odor but nodded to Victor,"... well, Thank you…"

"Now, can we please get back to the list?" Tim insisted after crossing of The Hatter from the bottom of the page.

The rest of the long day into the evening was spent doing examinations of each performer. Some had minor afflictions like Jefferson but others had major infections that needed particular treatments, which Victor's current medical supply fell short of. Tim wrote down a list of tonics and herbs Victor would need as he went from one patient to the next. There was a large diversity in clientele, with a number of disorders and deformities. One man, of french descent, had a horrible hunch and what Victor guessed was overgrown facial tissue , the deformed man simply went by 'HunchBack'. There was a bearded lady as well as 'siamese' or conjoined twins and so many more. Then there was a man completely covered in scales called 'Gill' with webbed hands and feet, he looked like a walking fish, something Victor had only ever heard of but had never actually seen. At first sight he thought it was maybe a rare skin condition. A Doctor Eramus Wilson named a condition similar to this called Lichen Planus, but this man's skin was nearly consistently scaled everywhere. But this man had gills behind his jaw bone. Upon discovering them Viktor nearly jumped with surprise. The scientist in him was incredibly fascinated by these specimens, but as a doctor he could see that most of these people were not getting the medical attention they needed on a regular basis, and so many of the problems these people were stemmed from malnutrition. Something he would speak about with Ring Master, but though Viktor wasn't sure if he could get him to oblige. Once Victor finished with Gill, it was time for the performers' dinner.

"...I'm not a dentist, but you also might be dealing with cavities… rotten teeth, you're going to need to get them pulled if you want the pain in your jaw to be fixed," The doctor told Gill as he put away his limited supplies, the scaled fish-man nodded and growled a thank you. From what The Doctor could tell, Gill was actually a very gentle person, but his fierce appearance and sharp toothed grin did not help him in any manner, and the way his teeth had come in made his speech difficult which limited the questions Viktor could as him. The huge man lumbered away almost eagerly and joined the 'mermaid' who was actually just a blonde woman who wore a tail for wondered if perhaps he had pushed his questions a bit too far.

"So it looks like you got through just about everyone, so far so good!," Tim chirped," You might be able to just take a break after dinner, if you want you can take a break over by the elephant tents with-"

"Thank you, Timothy, but I can't just 'take a break," Victor sighed," The only reason I got to see so many patients is because I had nothing to give them or treat them with. I need to talk with the Ring Master as soon as possible, see what I can do about the diets of his various performers, to start with.."

"Gee, Doc, I don't know," Tim rubbed the back of his neck," See, the Ring Master isn't real keen on being told to buy stuff or change his plans or really just be told anything he don't want to hear. He uh… he's got a mean streak when it comes to that stuff"

"Well, if he wants to keep his performers show worthy he's going to have to listen to me," Victor closed his bag and stood," Is he in his caravan? The sooner we speak the better"

"Doc, really, I would just do the best you can with what you have"

Viktor shook his head, he guessed that the Ring Master was being generous when he said he would get Victor whatever he needed, but this was serious. He really did need the supplies.

"... besides… he doesn't really like talking to us much" But just as the words came out of Timothy's mouth The Ring Master strode up behind him and greeted the two with a white smile.

"Doctor! Going to dinner are we? If you don't mind I was going to invite you to my caravan again, I thought we could talk about your work a little bit more with the performers. All went well I presume, yes?"

"No actually, you actually have quite a-"

"Marvellous, come with me and we'll discuss more," The Ring Master urged the Doctor away from Tim who was scampering away to Dinner before Victor could say another word," Actually, Dear Doctor, I had a favor to ask.."

"Wait, no, stop," Victor halted abruptly and stared at the Ring Master. The tall man turned and raised a serious eyebrow at Victor, his face loosing it's showman's exuberance," I need you to listen to me seriously for a moment. Actually take me serious"

"...Alright Doctor, go right ahead," The Ring Master crossed his arms and lifted his chin," Speak your mind"

"Your conditions here… absolutely deplorable. I'm sorry, but it's true. I doubt anyone here has had a proper meal or clean water in at least a month. Most of the patients I encountered would benefit greatly from improving that alone," Victor paused to see if the man was listening, but he could feel the Ring Master's cold gaze burrow into his own. It was the first time Victor felt… unnerved by this man, but he continued nonetheless," And while I have been able to distribute _some _basic care for _some _patients, it's not enough. I need to restock all of the supplies for treatments…" Victor pulled the list Tim made and handed it to him," All of this needs to be in my possession as soon as possible, your performer's health is on the line"

The Ring Master looked it over, then returned his gaze on Victor,"... So serious Doctor…" He considered the list again," …. alright. I'll work on this," He raised the list and then tucked it into his own coat then smiled at Victor," but, I need a favor"

"You'll get all of it? And you'll consider my suggestions about the food and water?"

"Yes, all of it, done! You know I was thinking we needed some serious change around here and I believe you sir have delivered to me the kick in the pants I needed to set it off- provided compliance to my one condition, I have a favor to ask of you," he repeated," Now I know you don't deal with animals… but this is a very important performer, our star actually"

"... If it means I get my supplies, fine, whatever you need," Victor gave in.

"Wonderful!" The Ring Master grinned, and he walked up to his caravan door and opened it for his guest. Come inside and I'll explain more," Once again Victor found himself seated with the Ring Master; through this time two plates of food were laid out for them with fresh fruit, steak, and food he hadn't seen since before Alphonse died. The Ring Master opened a bottle of wine and poured their glasses, but then he went into his desk drawer and pulled out a box of luxury cigars,"You don't mind do you? I like to smoke before I eat… a little quirk of mine, do you…?" Victor shook his head when offered one for himself and The Ring Master shook his head," A serious fellow indeed. You know, the Circus life might do you good, Victor. It'll teach how to live again, to laugh and maybe even one day smile…"

"I'm sorry, why am here?" Victor asked, his patience was running thin. Perhaps he was too proud to listen to someone telling him how he should 'enjoy' life, or even that he should enjoy life at all. Or maybe he just was becoming less and less tolerant of the false showman persona the Ring Master used during cordial conversation.

The Ring Master stared at the Doctor," Manners, dear Doctor," This time he shook his head before taking a long drag from his lit cigar, then breathed out a wispy ring of smoke," I'm just concerned with our 'patient'. You see, she has a reputation; she's a real man eater. It's why we have her under lock and key at all times," The Doctor raised an eyebrow while the Ring Master paused," You won't be permitted into her holdings, which will make things more difficult, but I just need you to look her over the best you can. We thought she was just fatigued after the last set of performances, but it's been a few days now, and we wonder if it might be something else.. perhaps that diet issue you spoke of?"

"... Perhaps," Though Victor was finding this issue more difficult as the Ring master spoke," it would help if I knew what animal I was dealing with,"

The Ring Master only gave a faint smile as he held his cigar between his stark white teeth, revealing devilish canines "The She-wolf"


	3. Chapter 3

After Dinner, Victor was scheduled to work with the 'She-wolf' early the next morning. He offered to see her that evening, but the Ring Master declined. The doctor left that evening wondering if he would really meet the dancer on the poster. He also wondered why she was so adamantly referred to as some sort of beast; it hardly made any sense. He had asked the Ring Master, to which the showman simply grinned and chuckled, insisting that Victor watch the show sometime.

That was not an experience Victor was looking forward to, not after seeing how these people lived.

Victor stepped outside the Ring Masters caravan and walked past the crowd of clowns sitting around, smoking and laughing around a campfire. They seemed to be speaking some language Victor had never heard of. A few of them looked up at him and then looked away, whispering to one another. Victor furrowed his brows and almost stopped to inquire what they were going on about when Tim showed up behind him; his expression looking as surprised as Victor's.

"Hey! So did you actually…?" Victor blinked a little, inspiring a wide grin across Timothy's face. "My god, you did didn't you? Ha! And you're alive! Well, way to go bud!" Timothy laughed and slapped him on the back, "I can't believe you're alive!"

"Relax Tim, the Ring Master isn't all that bad… I've certainly met worse." Jefferson approached still looking haggard, but maybe not as tired before,

"Tim and a few of us were just about to have a few drinks," the hatter said, "… Though if you were dining with The Ring Master I suppose you've probably had enough."

"But you should come sit with us anyway!" Tim chimed in.

"I need to be up early tomorrow." Victor replied, "It's probably best if I don't… but actually… I don't suppose either of you had worked at all with this She-wolf dancer girl, have you? I'm suppose to see her in the morning and … I guess work with her 'partner'."

Tim raised an eyebrow, "'Partner'? What the hell are you talkin' about?"

Jefferson just crossed his arms, "You mean the wolf part of 'She-wolf'?"

"Yes, I assume." Victor nodded, "It sounds like The Ring Master is very concerned with her health at the moment."

"I'm sure he is." Jefferson scoffed, "Well, if you're working with her in the morning, I don't think you'll have to worry about the wolf. You see... she only comes out at night."

"You mean the wolf is nocturnal?" Such a fact could be surmised about such creatures, though Victor had read wolves are just as active in daytime as they are at night.

"No, I mean…. gods, what do they call them here?" Jefferson searched the darkening skies for the answer, scratching his head under his hat. He finally snapped his fingers with victory, "She's a…. Werewolf, that's it. She turns into a wolf at night as the sun goes down."

All three men fell silent. Victor took a moment to register this, "You're joking with me, Jefferson. That's not possible."

"Why not?" The hatter rolled his eyes, "Rumor has it she's not from this world anyways: she's from mine. Though I guess they're called 'Children of the Moon' or something a bit more classy there."

"... Yeah, I mean I've seen some pretty crazy stuff too." Tim interjected, though he did feel a bit out of place between the two men who spoke of other, magical worlds.

"And so you've seen her transform, and you've seen a 'werewolf'?" the cynicism in Victor voice becoming thicker and thicker.

"No…. they do that part of the show behind a curtain, look, when you see her, you'll know. Just trust me alright?" Jefferson insisted.

It was going to take a lot more than smoke and mirrors to make Victor believe such a transformation were possible. Though... hypothetically... in order for someone to make that sort of change every night, they would need the ability to literally generate and rearrange cells into a totally different structure at an accelerated rate that no one is capable of, and then break down those same cells by the end of the night as well. To believe in such a possibility was ludicrous; any living thing that possessed such abilities would be truly extraordinary.

"Well, I don't think so, but thank you anyway." Victor nodded, not taking the bait, "I'm going to go see if perhaps the last 'Doctor' had any books on this sort of thing. Wolves; not mythical creatures."

Jefferson rolled his eyes again, but let the new doctor go, knowing the man was far too stubborn to bend on hearsay.

The rest of the night was spent going through the remainder of the wagon. Victor seemed to find more junk and more miscellanea as he went about the task. Some of it he kept for the sake of reference; some outdated books about biology, basic first aid and so on. The old jars of preserved plants, animals and who knows what, he tossed. The more he cleared away, the more spacious the dwelling seemed. To his delight he even discovered a dusty looking writing desk. Victor pulled up a little chair and placed the salvaged books atop the new treasure. He jiggled at the handle on some of the drawers; all were surprisingly empty aside from the thick coating of dirt and dust. He crinkled his nose, trying not to breathe any of the newly disturbed dirt in, when he discovered something in the bottom desk drawer: a finger notch. Curious, the Doctor lifted the false bottom of the drawer to reveal a small-concealed journal.

Victor took out the book and opened up the pages; it was all scribbled notes, some pages more faded than others. They all seemed about the circus performers and animals. There was even a page about a 'dragon' that was revealed to be an abnormally large marine Iguana with fabricated wings attached to it. Another few pages were dedicated to the mermaid, or Gill, and also the tiger-lion breed. Everything about them was written down and appeared to be truthful, even their real names. So Victor searched for anything about his new patient. Finally he came to a page with a full drawing of the dancer, except he could see her hazel eyes and her proportions were slightly off compared to the poster... and that was about it. He frowned and turned the page, but it was just notes on the hunchback. Her pages had been ripped out; three or four of them. He looked deeper into the drawer, maybe they had just fallen out... but no. A few more pages in and he saw a portrait of the Ring Master. But there was no name or information; simply blank lines. Something about this didn't sit well with the doctor.

He set the journal aside and looked into the biology textbook, reading what he could about wolves. There wasn't much but he found the information somewhat useful. Luckily what he learned was that they had a few similarities to humans anatomy-wise. Not many... but a few.

The next morning Victor was indeed up and ready early for his mystery patient. Victor opened the door before the Ring Master could even knock, "Oh, lovely! You're awake," the showman laughed, "Come this way. We're getting ready for tonight's show."

As the two walked into the big top tent, everyone was busy arranging seats and banners or preparing for acts. Through the glimmering and smokey chaos, the Ring Master brought Victor into the back part of the tent behind the three rings, leading him past assorted cages before reaching their destination.

"Here we are. The patient awaits." The Ring Master flourished a hand gesture to the largest cage draped in midnight-blue curtains.

In the center stood a woman who resembled the woman in the poster, as well as the drawing from the recently discovered journal- except far more beautiful. She was dressed in that red outfit with huge scarlet plumes coming from the ringlets in the back of her hair. Her chains rattled slightly as she brushed powder on painted stars and crescent moon upon her cheek. She had to look in a mirror being held up by one of the stagehands.

Victor frowned, "She's in chains? But the show isn't for hours. Surely she doesn't need that collar or those shackles.."

"Oh no, Doctor: she's a dangerous beast, an animal. It's for her protection and ours." The Ring Master replied.

"You can't be serious... you of all people know this is an act, she's a human being! She deserves some dignity!"

The Ring Master stared back at the doctor, "Come see the show. Then you'll know what she's really like." With that, the Ring Master turned and strode away from the cage area.

Victor stood there a moment, unbelieving that anyone could even think to treat another person like this. He looked at the woman, now setting down her makeup and tenderly rubbing the skin beneath her shackles, and truly took pity on her. The closer he came to the bars, the more detail he took in. She had dark puffy circles under her eyes that she had tried to hide with make up, and there were sores underneath the shackles.

"Hello?" Victor finally went up right beside the cage and the woman turned her attention to him. Her hazel eyes met his blue and he lost his thoughts for a minute, "... I'm the new Doctor the Ring Master has hired."

"What's your name?" She asked almost immediately.

"... You may refer to me as 'Doctor'."

"Oh," She turned her face away. "So, what are you here to do for me, Doctor?"

She was very candid he noted right away," Well… to tell you the truth I don't think it's healthy for you to stay in one of… these." He put his hand on one of the bars and the woman stepped back.

"No, believe me Doctor, this is where I should be."

Victor's mouth almost dropped, "You… what?" Was everyone here simply mad? "No. Miss…. uh… Miss…"

"I don't have a name either." She offered, "I just go by my stage name."

"Okay… well," Victor ran his fingers through his hair, not feeling comfortable calling her a 'She-wolf'. "Look, I've had years of medical training and I know that this can't possibly good for you." For a moment he thought about the amount of time Gerhardt had spent in that little cell at the lab and slightly cringed. "... The Ring Master said you weren't performing well? Maybe this is why."

The She-Wolf said nothing; instead she looked at the stage hands who were quickly leaving the backstage area. Victor raised an eyebrow at this behavior.

"I might be able to convince the Ring Master to help you." He offered, but the woman just sighed and sat down on the floor in a heap of red fabric.

"How much do you know about him: The Ring Master?" She asked, looking at him with those same sad and tired eyes that Victor had first glimpsed in the poster. The doctor pulled up a nearby stool and looked at her, but couldn't come up with an answer as he took a seat. "He's a very manipulative man. He keeps all of his little pawns under his thumb and he won't tolerate anything else."

He watched her expression as she said those words. It occurred to him that she was right in one aspect: he really didn't know anything about this Ring Master. Victor knew that the man constantly pretended that he was a gracious and exuberant person, but then there were the glimpses of a cold and calculating man. Was the latter the real ugliness beneath a pleasant mask...or was it just a tool of intimidation?

"He's dangerous, and he has more power than you might think." The She-Wolf continued, answering his unspoken question.

"Well, thank you for the warning" Victor smiled weakly, "For now, may I see your arms? Or arm, just for now?" The She-Wolf hesitantly put a lithe arm through the heavy bars and Victor gently took it his expert hands.

"And…. thank you, Doctor" The woman smiled," I really do appreciate this, what you're doing for me. For all of us."

The Doctor leaned over and grabbed salve and bandages from his bag. "This might sting, but it will keep out infection and maybe keep these sores from getting any worse." He looked under the metal shackles, but they weren't chaffing or cutting into her skin; they were just small enough so they wouldn't slip off. That's when he noticed they were made of silver: actual silver. Silver that, if sold, could bring in quite a large profit. "I suppose you have an allergy to silver too." Victor huffed, "Well, I guess I can put a bandage over the skin here, but the irritation on your wrists will only continue if these remain on your skin."

She didn't say anything as he continued to wrap her arms and apply the salve. When she twitched or hissed in pain he offered to stop, but she insisted he continue. He noticed her palms were sweaty and they shook when she tried to hold them up herself. Her eyes remained trained on him; at first he wondered if she simply didn't trust him. It would explain why she was so unwilling to tell him more.

"Miss, if I may ask, how are you feeling. You seem… fatigued. You don't look like.. well... like you should perform like this." He put up his slender fingers to check for notable heat of the forehead.

The She-wolf just shook her head, "No, Doctor. I'm fine."

"Miss, I can't help you if you don't let me." She bit her lip then moved in a little so Victor could put a hand on her forehead. "...You don't really believe the things that are said about you, do you? That you're some sort of monster?" He finally asked.

"And what about you? He took away your name too. What did you do to need to hide your name?" She said rather suddenly, "Here monsters aren't allowed names."

Victor swallowed not expecting to hear her say something like that, not when she had seemed to have such a soft demeanor, "I suppose that's fair…"

"I'm sorry," The She-Wolf pulled in her hand, "I… I shouldn't have asked. I hope I.." She bit her lip, "I guess it's hard for you not to think badly of me, especially when I don't think much better of myself to begin with."

Victor didn't understand; it showed very clearly. He figured, however, that it was probably better if he didn't get anymore involved. Not in this way at least. Being a patient under his care he would try to get her in better living conditions, but as far as everything else... Victor was starting to feel that some issues were better left alone.

"Listen… you should come see my act." She suggested, "It might help you understand my… um... I guess you would call it a condition?"

"Condition?" Victor repeated.

She lifted her head, like she heard something that startled her. She grabbed the bars and leaned in, conjuring up a small smile, "My name is... Or was 'Red'."

The Doctor was taken aback by hearing her give that sacred piece of information to someone she had just met. "... Miss Red… uh..." Victor turned as he heard the approach of footsteps.

"You're a doctor right? A real one?" Red began to stand, though she wobbled quite a bit," Maybe you'll be able to cure me."

Victor heard the Ring Master calling orders from just behind the curtain. Red was getting up to go get her shoes, but Victor suddenly grabbed the hem of her dressed through the bars. She turned and looked down at him again... and he felt his cheeks turn bright and hot.

"I…" He felt his name on his tongue, but he couldn't, "… I will come to your show. I'll watch."

Red smiled, almost as if relieved, but just as she was about to respond the Ring Master came to the doctor's side, "Ah Marvelous! I can't wait for you to see our first performance! We won't let him down, will we girl?" He chuckled but the dancer's smile became more painted on as he took the center of attention. "We have a lot of work to do, so if you're done could you-" The bandages on Red's wrists caught his eye, "What are these?"

"Ah, yes, the first thing I noticed was that she had numerous sores on her wrists. I'm assuming from the shackles…" the doctor began.

"Yes, well, I'm afraid they need to come off." The Ring Master retorted, "Will they need to be reapplied after the show? It's a bit of a waste don't you think?"

"No. In fact they'll need to be changed every few hours until her sores have healed. Which I doubt will happen until those shackles are taken off." Victor defended.

The Ring Master sighed. "There just no pleasing you is there, Doctor?"

"There's more: I believe she has a fever. I mean.. she can barely stand on her own! And you expect her to dance?"

"Well do you know for a fact that she has a fever?" The Ring Master asked, but when Victor did not answer he gave him a smug smile. "Well I guess not. She performs. But listen, I'll have her keep her bandages on till the show, and after you can put them back on. Yes?"

The Ring Master gave Victor a hearty pat on the back as if this small allowance made up for everything. The doctor was about to try and correct the man but backstage was flooding with performers now. Victor looked back at the She-Wolf, Red, and saw her face become ridden with exhaustion once more.

He left the tent, determined to change things; more then ever.


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor had the privilege of being seated in the front row, getting a prime view of all three rings. The tent filled up quickly, Victor was surprised to see so many people so eager to see some a few tricks and illusions. Unfortunately Miss Red's act wasn't until near the end, he had to sit through the rest of the show. Some of them made him cringe, not that they were necessarily bad, but he hated seeing some of the 'performers' displayed in the 'freak show' portion. Though he admittedly like Tim's work with the elephants he didn't see him use a whip once. Jefferson had a fairly strong magic act, which figured he supposed, but he fumbled a bit with the card portion. He even enjoyed the cheesy love story between the "Mermaid" and the "Sea monster", though that might have been because he could see up close Gill's fully functioning amphibious respiratory system, absolutely fascinating.

Finally he saw the stage crew move She-wolfs cage into the center ring. The lights dimmed and a tense drum roll started. The Ring Master stepped in front of the cage and began some dramatic introduction, and invited the crowd to step up to bar dividing the audience from the dancer. Victor approached as the midnight blue curtains were drawn revealing Red. Her skin didn't look so pale, she looked strong and, well, his face blushed slightly feeling himself under her gaze. She smiled and gave him a wink, the crowd whooped and roared with lustful approval. Though it made Victor feel entirely out of place and he cast his eyes off her scarcely covered torso. This reminded him all too much of those bars he would sometimes find his brother at, seated with a poorly dressed wench on his lap. However, what Miss Red was doing was at least somewhat artful, or so he'd like to think, he knew this sort of thing would only go appreciated by lower class people, which unfairly ranked it as sleazy entertainment. There was just something about her movement that was balletic, but free which was incredibly ironic as her stage was a barred prison and she was adorned in shackles. But as the music began a slow, sensual beat, Red swung her hips slowly, tapping her fingers against a tambourine with silver cymbals. Her sash tied at her hips was lined in tiny silver coins that caught the light and twinkled with every movement.

But The Doctor didn't notice any of that, for a moment he was mesmerized by the graceful movement of her form. She was truly beautiful.

"...But when the moon rises, this beauty of a creature, turns into a monster of the night!" The Ring Master raised his whip signaling that the curtains would be drawn again. Although the lights could illuminate her silhouette, Victor couldn't see much of anything. He frowned and began pushing his way past the crowd. If there was any 'transformation' or as he believed, a lack of, he was going to see it without the curtain. He got to the side of the ring Red was featured in, and he started climbing the ladder the acrobats used to get to their platforms until he could see above the curtain.

She was just standing there, but now her confidence was gone, she looked weary again. Above her, the stage crew was bringing buckets to the center stand. The Ring Master raised his whip again and suddenly the buckets were spilt over her. The contents looked like sparkles or tiny rhinestones, but when they hit Red's skin she fell to the floor.

Victor could hardly believe what ensued. The Dancer's body began to contort and change, as a scientist he was fascinated. How could this be real? He felt foolish now that he was seeing it, after everything he already knew… It was incredible. The woman's body contorted and twisted into a completely different structure, it was breaking and regenerating bone and tissue in a matter of moments. The music and the drums covered up sounds made by the process… but he could see how stressful it was on her body. How often was she doing this?

The curtains went up again and the crowd gasped, some even cried out in shock. A Wolf with fur as black as night, the size of a bear stood in the center. Victor hurried down the ladder but he couldn't make it back to his seat. The wolf turned it's head and met Victor with yellow eyes. ears intent on him.

The Ring Master cracked his whip at the wolf and the wolf yelped, then reared it's head with a growl. It snapped it's teeth a few times but even with the crowd's exclamations grew and the whip went off more and more, the wolf just laid down. It was panting heavily and laying on it's side. The Ring Master tried becoming more aggressive, but the poor thing just whined. The Curtains closed before he could do any more.

Victor ran back behind the stage where the She-wolf cage was being rolled in, but so did the Ring Master. The Ring Master cracked his wicked whip and raised it high above his head before bring down the fall of it over the ribs of the she-wolf. She let out a cry and tried to snap back but the whip kept coming down, tearing at the flesh and fur in its path.

"Stop!" Victor grabbed the man's arm, now slick with blood, and pulled him back. The Ring Master raised his whip again and cracked it over the Doctor's arm. Luckily the crew came to his aide, protecting him from the Ring Master's wrath. Victor watched the man's chest heave, breathless from the violence.

"Fix…. this, Doctor. You have four days… till our next performance," and with that he dropped a silver key and stalked away.

"Doc! Your arm!" Tim's voice finally brought Victor's attention to himself. The silver whip had cut through the doctor's sleeve and left a decent sized cut across his skin. It stung, but it wasn't bleeding as heavily as a deep wound would. The Doctor would tend to himself later, he counted himself lucky that it was only a shallow tear in his flesh. Tim pushed through the crew to join the him. "I-I can get your bag!"

"Get some water, clean water!" Victor demanded of the elephant trainer, who disappeared just as the door to the cage locked. The Lordling picked the silver key off the ground and turned his head and went over to the the bars. "What the hell is this?"

The man who locked the door just shook his head and spoke a foreign tongue Victor did not know. He then he pointed to Miss Red.

The doctor tried the key in the lock, but to no avail. Victor sighed and looked at the wolf, now whimpering and trying to lick its wounds. It was difficult to not be intimidated by such a large, fearsome creature. But the thing could barely lift it's head; and 'it' was the dancer, Red. She would need medical attention immediately. Victor went over and kneeled next to the massive black heap surrounded by fur that had been cleaved away from her body. The wound on his arm hurt, but it wasn't deep, however the wounds on the wolf were deep, and on top of the fever she already had!

He reached his hand over to the fur on the back of her neck. Victor could feel the muscles underneath twitch, and those big yellow eyes were upon him again. A low growl escaped from that muzzle and her nose twitched, but she didn't seem angry. It didn't take long for the wolf to simply give in. Every muscle seemed to twitch and shiver underneath what was left of her black coat, and then finally... she rested her head in his lap. Victor slowly took the key and unlocked the shackles on the wolf's feet. Before her transformation they might have fit Miss Red, but on the wolf's thicker legs they were cutting into her.

Once they were off, Victor ran a gentle hand over her belly, estimating the damage. Without even looking, the Doctor knew he would need much more time than what was allotted between now and the next performance. To start, he would have to put in stitches; something he had never done with such a large animal. But even if he could keep the stitches in transformation after transformation, she would be fighting infection in deplorable conditions.

"Hey Doc," Heavy footsteps came from the cage, shifting Victor's attention away from his patient. A long trunk poked through the bars with a bag, Tim was standing by the large pachyderm, "This is Mama Dumbo, Dumbo's ma… so you still don't work with uh… animals huh?"

"Please, Timothy," Victor rummaged through his things as 'Mama' put a bowl of soup into the cage. He wished the blubbering man would make himself useful, or make himself scarce," I need to concentrate, if you would allow me some quite I would appreciate it"

"Alright.. I'll keep checking in on you and uh… your patient, who is most definitely… NOT going to eat you or me or… and is not a wolf, yeah" Victor didn't hear the last of Tim's muttering

Victor worked quickly, wrapping his wound first, and then debating about administering what was left of a small sedative to the wolf. It wasn't much, but it was at least safe and sanitary once he placed the substance in a clean syringe. He stitched the wounds closed, but he still wasn't sure how to treat a wolf with a fever. Perhaps whatever they had used to transform her could change her back. As if that wasn't enough, he was alone and with no assistance, should the situation continue to grow worse. Timothy had left and none of the passing crew were willing to come too close to the cage. Despite his frustration, Victor gathered up some blankets and put them around her. It would have to do for now. Her bleeding had stopped for now and all he could do now was watch her over night.

Victor did his best not to sleep too much, not while his patient was in such poor condition, but his eyes drooped and he was gone around the early hours of the morning.

They had been out here for so long. Had Victor known that hunting was so boring he would have thought twice before agreeing to go with his father and his hunting troupe. But this was his chance to prove he was a real man.

The Frankensteins owned a vast amount of forest surrounding their manor that was full of game; Fox, rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, and plenty of wolves. Apparently hunting was one of the quintessential activities that validated manhood. Victor could have cared less for the sport, but if this would win his father's favor for one moment he could afford sacrifice a day.

The eldest Frankenstein son followed the rest of the troupe for the majority of the time out in the woods, repeating the aim and fire techniques he took the time to learn before hand. Alphonse rode in the front, encouraging the dogs to 'sniff out the bastard' while taking liberal drinks from his flask. It was getting close to dark and they had little luck, but then as the sun sank just below the horizon one of the bloodhounds barked and took off into the brush. The rest of the dogs and the hunters followed, including Victor. Finally, they were getting somewhere, and this was very well could be his chance!

The Hunters chased after the dogs leaping over logs and brush, but as his horse leaped over a creek in their path, Victor was bucked off. He tumbled into the rocks, his clothes were now damp and the water was cold, but he managed to keep his gun dry. The Lordling grunted as he pulled himself out of the creek. His eyes narrowed and focused, and right in front of him was a fox kit. The petite creature had no where to go, trapped between a rock and him. Victor sat up slowly and cocked his rifle, ready to take the animal's pelt to his father, proving himself for once. The fox lowered its head and quivered; it was if it knew what it's fate would be. Victor bit his lip. He had heard all about the victory flame a hunter felt after making his kill, and this would be his first kill no less. But here was a creature whose life was in his hands…

The hounds' barking was becoming louder; the hunting troupe was turning around. Victor sighed and lowered his gun, and moved to the side letting the fox pass. But behind him he heard the fateful gunshot. Eventually the hunters, led by his father, stood behind him. The corpse of the petite fox now lay limp at their horses' hooves.

Alphonse dismounted and picked up the fox, the creature so slack in his grip. He stalked over to his eldest son and pulled Victor up by the collar with his free hand. His father's cold eyes burrowed into his own, "You never pass up an opportunity to disappoint me, do you boy?"

Victor was shoved back against the tree behind him and the hunters rode off into the woods. An echoing noise erupted from behind him; Victor sharply turned. The deep growl that broke the silence grew louder and white fangs appeared from the shadows... accompanied by bright yellow eyes. He could not move or even close his eyes as the wolf advanced upon him...


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor awoke with a start, chilled and shaken, but as he was took in his surroundings he recalled his situation. He rose from the pillow of straw and blanket he had laid out for himself. He was still locked in the cage with Red. He looked over to where he had left her. While he had been asleep she had returned to her human form, which was a relief. But he knew she had a long battle ahead of her. His arm was still sore and he needed to change his bandages before he did anything else. He cringed through the process, having never liked doing work on himself. When it was over he looked at his still resting patient. Victor knew he needed to examine the woman, but he'd need to pull back the fabric from her corset, which had magically reappeared overnight. He crawled over to her, and gingerly felt over the fabric. She was shivering, sweating and he could feel the stitching on her wounds had become undone. He took the blanket he had used last night and put it over her. He looked through his bag, he wouldn't have anything useful to treat her.

"Morning Doctor," The Ring Master approached the cage, "I think I should apologize for what happened after the show last night… I really didn't mean to take it that far, but you know, that's show biz." He sighed and shook his head," Now you know what I'm dealing with"

"Do you have any of the medication I asked for? This is exactly why I needed it." Victor replied, ignoring the half-hearted apology from the man.

"Oh… yes well.." The Ring Master rubbed the back of his neck,"... Between prepping for the show and… everything, I haven't been able to send anyone. I can find someone now but you won't get your things until late tonight. Tomorrow morning at the latest."

Victor's jaw tightened,"I don't know if we have that kind of time! Can you at least unlock the door for me? Maybe I can find something in my wagon."

"I'm afraid I'm not really comfortable with our star in her… condition... being left alone. In the mean time I'll do what I can." The Ring Master then slid a couple of bowls and silverware between the bars, "I brought more soup. I hear you and the she-wolf really like soup." The Ring Master gave a small smile," I truly am sorry Victor, I will do better by my performers."

Victor watched the man walk away. He sighed and finally took the bowls, though he didn't see how they would help. What with last night's bowl sitting cold and full of its untouched contents in the corner. Maybe when Red awoke she could take a few spoonfuls of soup. More importantly he needed to resew the damage across her side and belly, but he had no anesthetic left.

He decided he needed to wake her up, he wouldn't be able to sew the wounds together with her asleep, "Miss Red.." He put a hand on her shoulder and she stirred slightly, "Miss Red, I'm sorry, I need you awake."

"Doctor…." Red murmured in a feeble voice. She tried to sit up, but her arms shook and Victor had to assist in laying her back down. She smiled weakly up at him, "You.. I saw you in the crowd. You came to my show..."

He nodded, "I did, but you're hurt, badly. Miss Red, I need to stitch these wounds.. and I don't have anything for the pain, I would wait but if we do infection could set in and we'll have to deal with a much larger problem-"

"It's alright, really," Red assured him, putting a hand on his arm," It can't be that bad, can it?"

Victor didn't say anything right away, "... It won't be pleasant, but I will do this as quickly as I can.. I need, um," Victor cleared his throat, "-to open your corset… if I may"

The frail dancer nodded and took a handful of her dress as Victor got a better look at the wounds, readying the thread and needle. She had four decent sized wounds that needed to be repaired; all on sensitive skin stretched tightly across they had healed quite a bit over night. He wondered if that had something to do with her abilities. He did his best to make the procedure less painful, but Red still clutched at the fabric tightly till her knuckles turned white.

"I can stop for a bit if you prefer."He offered.

"No," Red swallowed, "You're doing great, we're almost done right?"

"Just a little longer, the worst of it is nearly over." Victor promised, as he took out a handkerchief from his vest and dabbed the escaping tears from the corner of her eye before continuing.

"It would help if you said something.." Red did her best not to squirm too much,"... Can you tell me about where you come from?"

Victor bit his lip; he wasn't use to making much conversation with his patients. Perhaps it didn't help that he had even less practice talking to young, beautiful women. They never seemed too interested in him, which he understood: his morbid interests didn't exactly align with those of fairer creatures. Gerhardt had mastered the technique and women flocked to him for it. The second Frankenstein son was the gentleman and lover, everything his older brother was not. Victor had his attempts when he was younger, but he found little success in the sport and therefore turned his attention to things that he actually showed apptitude towards.

Though Victor did find that with Red he had plenty of questions he wanted to ask her, she being quite the remarkable creature. He however had little to say about himself, "I'm from a place called Geneva.. I was raised there." He started, "It's north of here, in the mountains."

"Mountains?" Red twinged with a little with discomfort and tried to steady her breathing," I-I've never been to.. nor seen mountains before… what are they like?"

"Uh… cold, mostly." Victor answered. He could hear how difficult it was for Red to speak. It wouldn't do for her to keep prying words out of him, knowinng how exhausting it had to be, so he tried to come up something more to entertain her. "It's a little secluded from the rest of the world. It felt that way at least. But it's nice in the spring.. there's forest and plenty of wildlife to study."

Red's eyelids fluttered closed and her hand relaxed a little. "What kinds?"

"...Rabbits… owls, song birds, deer, fox, different rodents…" Victor thought of the black wolf he'd seen in his dream The one that resembled Red in her canine form.

"That sounds so much like home…" Red replied, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

When he finished dabbing away the blood with his handkerchief he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, "You'll need water and rest… I'm sorry, I tried to stop him.." He didn't have to say who for Red to know who exactly he spoke of. He wrapped the stitching with gauze.

Red turned her head to the side and placed a hand on the new stitching, "...I'm a quick healer, I'm sure I'll be okay… so long as I have you here."

"I will do the very best I can." Victor smiled back at her. Red was tired and sore; she would need rest. But he thought about her wolf form, and how his stitch work had been completely destroyed when she returned to herself, "...You… won't transform again will you? That could ruin those stitches and it would set you back."

"No.. not unless I perform," Red's eyes closed a little. Victor decided if she could rest that would be the most beneficial to her. He started to get up but she tried grabbing for him," I need you to stay, please."

She was straining herself and he needed her to rest, "I will. I won't go anywhere," The door was locked anyway, and by the time he could go anywhere he guessed she would be out and sleeping sound, "You'll be alright, Miss Red."

She let go of his sleeve and let her eyes shut. Victor packed up what he could, he'd need to sterilize the needles later, and get something other than cold soup. He jot down the list of things to do, and things he might need if they were not brought to him tonight. Though it didn't take much time to realize that no one was willing to get him out; he could scarcely understand it. Red was a sick, dainty woman, or at least now she was... and he had survived the night with her as a wolf.

He slid down against the bars after pacing and inspecting the little that was in the cage. She had a curtain separating a portion of her cage, which held a few basic accommodations. It was sick. It's a miracle this poor woman hadn't died of disease already. He would need to move her later to her small cot at the other end of her quarters, but he would wait for her to sleep a bit longer. Victor flipped through the pages of his notes until landing on a blank page, he thought about the journal entry about Red in the ex-healer's book. He pulled out the other journal and went of the drawing of Miss Red. There was so little he knew about her, when she was such an extraordinary specimen. Maybe when she was feeling better he could find out more about her…for now he wrote down what he had observed about her, from both the show and after. It would be good to get information stacked together and to keep a record of his patient. Eventually when he ran out of notes he started putting down faint lines on the paper, for now, maybe he could draw her correctly, and in her proper proportions.

"Huh, didn't take you as an artist." Tim spoke up behind him," Victor turned and closed his notebook, now filled with several new sketches," Lil… odd, drawing an unconscious lady, but alright..."

"It's research, not…," Victor rolled his eyes, though his cheeks burned a little, "I've never encountered anything that could make all of these incredible changes to it's body in such a short amount of time- metamorphosis from specie to specie.. it's simply unheard of." He stood and walked over to the bars, "I don't suppose you have the key to this cage, I'm starting to feel a bit claustrophobic."

"Nope, the boss doesn't just pass that thing off to anyone. you're going to have to get him to open it,"

"Timothy, I can't exactly do that from here..."

"Yeah, well I am not asking about the key," Tim shook his head, "Well look, I came on account of your buddy the Hatter, the stuff you gave him… it isn't working anymore. He was wondering if you had anything else."

Victor frowned," Has he gotten worse?" This was ridiculous, people were sick and he couldn't do his job if he was in here, "Can you bring him here?"

"Sure, I mean I can try, he's been trying to get better at card tricks. He's pretty absorbed."

"Fine, get him here as soon as you can." Victor rubbed his temples and swept back his blonde hair, "I can't offer much advice till I know what's going on."

Tim nodded, "Alright, alright, and listen, your lady friend there is gonna be alright too. The boys sent out to get your medicine, left this morning and they were really hopping. I'll bet they'll be here before sundown… hey, uh, did he get you too?" Tim nodded to the bandages on The Doctor's arm.

"Yes… it seems you were right about the Ring Master's temper, but it's not too bad and I'll be able to take care of it for now."

"If you're sure…" Tim frowned a little and tilted his head then looked down at his muddied boots, "I'll bring you a sandwich or something. I wish I could be more helpful, Doc."

"Thank you Tim, You're doing your best I'm sure," It was difficult to be angry at the man, he had a genuine spirit of optimism. Even if it could be a little exhausting in these circumstances," But the next chance you get if you could let the Ring Master know I need to talk to him I would greatly appreciate it."

"Anything you need Doc." Tim grinned, then turned on his heel to trot out of the tent.

Red was still sleeping, but Victor was sure he could re-bandage her without disturbing her. The bandages peeled away, and the damage done to her waist had already gone into proliferation stage. The wounds had rebuilt themselves preparing to regrow broken blood vessels and lost tissue. By the time tomorrow morning came around he would need to remove those stitches. That was nearly 10 days worth of healing done in half a day. Victor touched the closing gashes lightly with his fingers; this had to be how she could change so swiftly. But how specifically her body was able to do this he did not know. He wished he could do tests, if there was something in her chemistry that allowed this and he could identify what it was he could help millions. This was maybe even the answer he had been looking for before…

He drew his hand back and cursed under his breath. He knew he couldn't go back to that, not so soon. Not to mention he could never treat a person like a test subject. Still, what wonders she held astounded him. Victor needed to take his mind away from the subject. He turned to the pages with drawings of Gill and began reading through possible lists of diets.


End file.
